May 21, 2018 Volume
xxiv, #20
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”
—Sir John Lubbock (English banker, politician, philanthropist, and scientist, 1834-1913)
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BMR gets serious about Ontario expansion with new sales rep and new programs
BOUCHERVILLE, Que. ― Groupe BMR is back in the Ontario market.
The buying group and wholesaler is actively developing business outside its home province of Quebec, and Ontario is squarely in its sights. That includes a person working with the Ontario dealers, Gilles Parenteau, BMR business development advisor.
BMR already has a handful of dealers in Ontario, including Windsor Building Centre in Windsor and Drummond Building Supplies in Marmora (shown here). But the group ceased expansion efforts in that province after it was acquired outright by La Coop fédérée at the beginning of 2015. The next three years found the company focused on reorganization closer to home.
Now, as the group seeks to build a strong presence in Ontario, it’s embracing a number of dimensions of dealers’ needs. “One is certainly to emphasize the independent dealer’s value of success,” says Pierre Nolet, BMR’s vice president of business development.
“BMR dealers are independent entrepreneurs and cooperatives that have freely chosen to associate themselves with BMR Group. Their expertise in hardware and building materials, coupled with their in-depth knowledge of their respective markets, allows them to offer consumers and contractors highly personalized service,” Nolet continues.
BMR says the convergence of product, innovation, and service is already driving BMR’s growth in Ontario. Currently, the group has a network of 325 independent home improvement centres and hardware stores in Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritime Provinces. It also has 17 corporate stores, located mainly on the South Shore and North Shore of Montreal.
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New products from the show floor at the National Hardware Show
LAS VEGAS, Nev. ― Individual companies that exhibited at the recent National Hardware Show offered an insight into the trends and product innovation that help drive the industry. On the show floor, new products were in abundance, driven by technological advances in categories such as lighting, power tools, space saving, and even wood panelling.
Surrey, B.C.-based QualityCraft was putting on a big push for two segments of its business, QualityCraft flooring and Montezuma tool storage, now combined as a full line of products to organize and utilize the garage space. Said QualityCraft’s SVP of sales and marketing, Dave Bickel, “Our goal is to own the garage, floor to ceiling, wall to wall.”
Philip Fitzpatrick, VP and general manager of Positec Canada, which markets Rockwell and Worx, showed off the Worx battery system. It runs on a 20-volt battery, or Power Module. “We’re building the whole thing around marketing the Power Module program,” for products ranging from leaf blowers to power mowers, Fitzpatrick said.
Another product advance at the show might be considered more low-tech, but no less innovative. Estwing featured a series of mallets and sledge hammers with spring steel bars that run all the way through the handle. The bars are locked with the hammer head using steel locking plates ensuring that the head never gets dislodged. Dhiren Bammi, Estwing’s managing director worldwide, said the line would be available in Canada in 90 days.
M-D Building Products, which recently purchased the weatherstripping, cleaning tools, screen, and snow brush lines of RCR International, was featuring RCR’s Climaloc brand, which will be maintained, but with the M-D name gradually replacing the RCR mark, said Joe Comitale, president of M-D Canada. “We’re maintaining product and UPC codes to make it easy to switch to the new lines,” he added.
Just days after winning the 2018 Energy Star Award for Excellence in the U.S., L’Image Home Products was at NHS to show off its latest lighting advances, including affordable LED lamps for low-income families. The Energy Star Award was given to L’Image for its efforts to promote the Energy Star brand and to educate consumers about the benefits of energy efficiency. The award is given by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. On day one of the show, the company received news that it had also won the Canadian version of the award, sponsored by Natural Resources Canada.
ShurTech Brands was featuring a new addition to its Canadian product lines: a better line of its popular green Painter’s Tape masking tape. According to Scott Robins, national account manager for ShurTech, Painter’s Mate Ultra fits in between the company’s Painter’s Mate value line and its top-end Frog Tape. It has a longer clean removal time―14 days versus seven. “And it meets the changes going on in paint formulations with a higher tack,” Robins said.
Mywoodwall was a very cool wood panelling product line harvested in Indonesia. The fast-growing wood can be remanufactured to a variety of colours and finishes. A simple peel-and-stick process makes DIY installation simple. The line has been picked up by Taiga for distribution in Canada.
The Quebec government once again organized a group stand for manufacturers from that province. Harry Jacobs of Ideal Security (shown left with a customer) reported healthy traffic for the display, despite being in the rear annex of the main hall. Eric LeClair of Bedford Ruler (on the right) was likewise pleased with the location and the traffic at the show. His company, which supplies stir sticks to paint and hardware dealers across Canada, was showcasing his family business’s wares, complete with private branding feature that puts the dealer’s name on each stir stick.
In the lawn and garden section of the show, Heath Outdoor Products had an array of bird feeders, including a new line of bright, colourful feeders shaped like birds such as owls and chickens. They can accommodate two suet pucks as well as loose bird feed.
DynaTRap offered a plug-in fly trap, which attracts the insects with to a disposable sticky pad that sits discreetly behind a decorative cover.
The show once again proved to be an important showcase for what's new in home improvement retailing, as well as an opportunity for vendors and retailers alike to renew existing relationships.
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Canadian Tire CEO commits to growth, private brands, rewards program
TORONTO — Canadian Tire used its annual general meeting at the Four Seasons hotel in Toronto earlier this month to make several announcements about the company.
Addressing the crowd, Maureen Sabia, chairman of the board, attributed Canadian Tire’s successful year to CEO Stephen Wetmore. “I would be remiss if I didn’t single out our CEO Stephen Wetmore for his efforts,” Sabia said.
The company’s Q1 profits declined from a year ago, coming in at $78 million compared to 87.5 million in the first quarter of 2017. Total revenues for the quarter rose by 3.3% to $2.81 billion, compared to $2.72 billion a year ago. Same-store sales saw an increase of 5.2%.
Sabia then revealed that Wetmore had signed another three-year commitment, which began this year. In addition to Wetmore’s commitment, Sabia also announced the company’s acquisition of Helly Hansen, the outdoor apparel brand, and the launch of Triangle Rewards program.
Triangle is the company’s latest effort to unite its many retail divisions under the Canadian Tire banner. Customers can use the card at Canadian Tire, Sport Chek, Gas+, participating Mark’s, and Atmosphere locations to earn Canadian Tire money, which can also be redeemed at any of those stores. Of the launch, Sabia said “there’s no better example of us working as one company.”
She went on to say that while the last few years have been positive for Canadian Tire, they have also taught her team that the company’s future success depends on disruption, not just sticking to what’s always been successful. “Great challenges also present great opportunities,” she said.
For his part, Wetmore described the Triangle program as “the most important announcement we have made since I joined the company” and a “natural progression” for the Canadian Tire rewards program.
The Helly Hansen acquisition is the most recent example of the company’s efforts to build up its private brands in-store. Over the past year, it has also picked up the Paderno cookware line, premium barbecue brand Vermont Castings, the lawn care brand Golfgreen, and team sports Sher-Wood Athletics Group Inc., which manufactures hockey gear and licensed products.
In terms of Canadian Tire Retail, Wetmore also announced that the home delivery pilot the company was testing in the Ottawa area will be expanded to across the country starting late this summer. All these announcements, Wetmore said, are in line with the company’s goal to become the number-one retail brand in Canada by 2022.
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Home Depot Canada will play role in company-wide IT hiring campaign
TORONTO — The Home Depot is looking to support its intensive growth into high tech retailing by hiring 1,000 new IT professionals across North America this year. And the Canadian division will play a role in that initiative.
Most of the hiring will take place in Austin, Tex., where Home Depot opened a corporate tech and data centre in 2005. Up to 500 people are being sought for that facility. But the retailer has technology centres in Atlanta, Ga., and Dallas, Tex., which will collectively hire another 500. The hires will support initiatives related to a massive $11.1 billion, three-year strategic investment plan that was first unveiled at the end of last year. It addresses the store and online shopping experience, supply chain and delivery capabilities, and associate and workforce management systems.
Closer to home, The Home Depot Canada is recruiting 100-plus new technology professionals at its headquarters in Toronto’s east end, called its Store Support Centre.
“With the changing Canadian retail environment, we know technology is playing an increasingly important role,” says Paul Berto, director, corporate communications, external affairs, and sustainability for Home Depot Canada. The initiative, he points out, ensures that Home Depot shoppers can interact with the retailer across multiple platforms.
“Customers want to shop whenever, wherever, and however they want. That’s why the Canadian team is making similar investments in our business for roles like software engineering, system engineering, UX design, product management, and roles with e-commerce,” Berto adds.
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Cody Smith has been promoted to the role of director, Home and Building Solutions at Federated Co-operatives Limited. He takes over from Tony Steier, who has retired from FCL. Smith has been with the co-op for the past 15 years in a variety of buyer roles, most recently as category development manager.
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CLASSIFIED ADS
TIMBER MART is looking for an Ontario Building Materials Procurement Manager, based in the GTA who will play an integral role in the following areas that support their dealer network:
* Align product prices in accordance with the market for Vendor Buying Agreements to maximize dealer margins and sales.
* Review market pricing in order to negotiate better costs for commercial agreements with vendors.
* Ensure a proper product mix that meets sales and budget objectives and maximizes profitability.
* Negotiate trade discounts and terms.
* Ensure the proper and faithful execution of the agreed upon Vendor Buying Agreements.
* Routinely review categories and sub-categories to decide whether to promote or discontinue products based on their market performance.
* Select products within assigned product categories for TIMBER MART flyers.
* Select vendors that will appear in the TIMBER MART National Buying Show, as well as travel to and assist in preparations for the event.
* Support TIMBER MART dealers regionally and nationally, providing them with appropriate and timely information, guidance and vendor support.
* Develop new programs to ensure our dealers are kept current in the building material industry.
* Monitor competitors’ markets nationally and regionally in order to maintain a competitive standing in the marketplace.
Qualifications:
* Preferably a College/University Degree in Business, Sales or Marketing
* 5 plus years’ experience in category management and retail sales
If you are a motivated team player who is looking for a challenging and rewarding opportunity, please forward your resume to hr@timbrmart.com.
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Sales Territory Managers | Atlantic Canada
Regal Ideas is the innovative leader in Aluminum Railing and associated outdoor living products to the Canadian Home improvement Industry. We require experienced Building Materials Professionals to expand our sales team and drive sales growth across Canada. If you are a motivated and highly organized team player then we want to speak with you.
Please send resume and salary expectations to Marketing@regalideas.com and you will be contacted if qualifications are commensurate with our requirements.
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